Israeli Carries Out Strike Targeting Hamas Leadership In Qatar

Israel carried out an attack targeting Hamas leadership in Qatar on Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Office said, in what appeared to be the first known Israeli military strike against the militant group in the Gulf nation.

A senior Israeli official told CNN that among those targeted was Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya.

“We are awaiting the results of the strike,” the official said.

The Qatari foreign ministry’s spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, said “the cowardly Israeli attack” targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Hamas political bureau in Doha.

“While strongly condemning this attack, the State of Qatar emphasizes that it will not tolerate this reckless and irresponsible Israeli behavior,” Al Ansari said on X.

Qatar has been a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, maintaining direct channels with the US, Israel and Hamas. It has also hosted multiple rounds of negotiations, and senior Israeli officials – including the head of the Mossad spy agency and top Israeli negotiators – have visited Doha. Whether such visits will continue remains uncertain.

A senior Hamas official confirmed to CNN that the group’s negotiators were targeted in Doha.

The Israeli source who spoke to CNN said the United States was informed ahead of the strike. CNN has reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.

In a statement, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said, “Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”

The short missive appeared designed to distance the US from the Israeli attack on a critical American ally in the Middle East.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said the operation was called “Summit of Fire.”

A close US ally
Qatar is one of the US’ closest allies in the Middle East and home to the Al Udeid Air Base, the biggest American military facility in the region. A key security partner of Washington, it was designated a Major Non-NATO Ally in 2022.

Al Udeid came under Iranian attack this year after the US struck nuclear facilities in Iran during Israel’s June campaign.

Following Tuesday’s strike, the US embassy in Qatar instituted a shelter-in-place order for its facilities in the country, it said in a post on X.

“We have seen reports of missile strikes occurring in Doha. The US Embassy has instituted a shelter-in-place order for their facilities. US citizens are advised to shelter-in-place,” it said.

Shortly after the explosion in Qatar, the IDF issued a statement saying it had targeted “senior leadership” of Hamas with “a precise strike” in a joint operation with the Shin Bet security agency.

“For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel,” the IDF said.

On Monday, Khalil Al-Hayya met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha.

During the discussion, Al-Thani pressured Hamas to “respond positively” to a US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, according to an official familiar with the meeting. The proposal, which was put forward this week, called on Hamas to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for negotiations to end the war in the enclave.

The killing of Hamas’ chief negotiator is likely to derail the US’s latest ceasefire effort, especially since potential US knowledge of the assassination attempt would erode Hamas’ already brittle faith in Washington as an impartial negotiator.

It’s not the first time Israel has carried out an attack that undermines US diplomatic efforts. In June, Israel opened a military campaign against Iran while Washington was in talks with Tehran over its nuclear program. Although both the US and Iran had already voiced doubts about making progress, the Israeli strikes effectively ended any chance of an agreement.

Credit: CNN